WICHITA, Kansas – The youngest Wichitans are getting vaccinated against the deadly H1N1 virus as the county works to protect the most vulnerable.
The H1N1 clinic is free, open to the public and a big hit with parents.
Denise Daugherty stopped by to immunize her daughter, Emerson.
"I figure the risk of something new outweighs the benefit of them getting sick and hospitalized," explains Daugherty, who says many of her friends and neighbors have seen H1N1 hit their loved ones.
"And she (neighbor) thought it was strep throat and it turns out that their family had H1N1 so... It's just everywhere so I figure why not be safe if we can."
Daugherty is not alone. Hundreds turned out in Wichita to get their free H1N1 vaccine at the old Wichita Mall at 4031 East Harry.
Sedgwick County health director, Claudia Blackburn says the clinic will be open from two in the afternoon to seven at night for the rest of the week.
"We believe that we'll start getting a lot more vaccine and we'll be expanding, hopefully, in the next few weeks," says Blackburn. "But the most important thing is to be able to vaccinate people so that they are immune."
Sedgwick County eventually expects to get hundreds of thousands of doses of the H1N1 vaccine. But, for now, they have about seven thousand to get started.
The Sedgwick County H1N1 vaccine clinic re-opens for Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Those getting access to the vaccine at the current clinic include children age six months to four years and kids age five to eighteen with some chronic health issues.
Also, pregnant women, health care workers and anyone who cares for babies can get the vaccine.
The clinic is free and young kids need a parent or legal guardian to sign paperwork.
